Posted by: Ross Leonhart
Each summer, the GoPro Mountain Games serve as a gathering place for athletes, artists, musicians and mountain lovers in Vail, Colorado. With all of these impressive and creative minds in one place, why not bring some of them together for a robust lineup of programming at the new CoLab Creator Stage in the heart of all the action?
At the NEW CoLab Creator Stage in Solaris Plaza, a who’s who of GoPro Mountain Gamers will present panel discussions, creative demonstrations and more over the course of the event, June 8-11. Bringing together some of the best names in the outdoor and creator industries, attendees will have the rare opportunity to interact with and gain in-person insight from a variety of creators, athletes and influencers.
“The CoLab is a physical location and a digital space where creators can come together at the GoPro Mountain Games to showcase what they do and share that knowledge and expertise with the GoPro Mountain Games and Vail community,” said adventure personality, content creator and GoPro Mountain Games family member Wade Holland, who is working closely with Event Organizers at the Vail Valley Foundation to organize and curate the CoLab lineup with his fiancé, makeup artist, digital creator and Different is Dope advocate Abby Wren.
“You get siloed into doing your thing, and it can make collaboration challenging,” said Wren, who is taking makeup art to a whole new level and recently won the 2022 Benefit Cosmetics’ Brow Search — fully embracing her alopecia. “So having this space will really embody what the GoPro Mountain Games represent.”
Who are these creators, athletes and influencers, you ask?
The CoLab lineup will feature adventure chef Adam Glick; Performance Breathing Master Coach and former NFL linebacker Brian Peters; fan-favorites from 2022 Cliff and Brodie That Dood; father-and-son athletes Todd and Kai Jones; survivalist Laura Zerra; the face of online guitar education videos Marty Music; blind mountaineer Rafa Jaime and his guide & friend Omar Alvarez, who will be coming off a Mount Everest attempt; TikTok’s “Handpan Man”; The Mirnavator, who embraces being a larger woman in a world of thinner athletes; spray paint artist Timmy Ham; adventure personality Wade Holland and makeup artist Abby Wren; internationally-known emcee Max Rantz-McDonald; skiing legend Chris Davenport; and even an appearance by the Vail Avalanche Rescue Dogs.
The full lineup and schedule will be announced soon.
“It’s going to be a pretty stacked lineup. I’m excited to see the variety,” Holland said. “It’s going to be an epic year just because this is turning into something bigger than we anticipated — there’s a lot of creators getting added to the CoLab as bonus add-ons. What I’m really excited about are these unique collaborations that you wouldn’t normally see.”
With its location in the heart of the action at Solaris Plaza, audiences at the CoLab are encouraged to interact as much as possible. It is not designed to be a one-way dialogue, rather opportunities to meet and create with these creators.
“We want people to realize it’s not just sit-and-watch,” Holland said.
Co-hosting the CoLab will be Chris Davenport and Max Rantz-McDonald.
In addition to painting as many faces and heads as possible at the GoPro Mountain Games, Wren is looking forward to “seeing those magical moments happen between creators.”
“The CoLab is a stage where creators, innovators and athletes can come together and unify their creativity into a central space to embody the spirit of collaboration that’s inspired through the mountains,” Wren said.
Whether you’re checking out Dog Town in Lionshead Village, The Hangout in Golden Peak, the climbing wall at Nature Valley Mountain Plaza, the kayak hole near Checkpoint Charlie — all roads lead to the CoLab Creator Stage in Solaris Plaza.
Learn more about the CoLab Creator Stage
Are you a creator? Win a VIP trip to the GoPro Mountain Games!
Calling all adventurers, artists and creators! This is YOUR chance to win a free VIP trip to the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado, June 8-11.
Here’s how:
- Create a video 60 seconds or less showing us how you get outdoors and what connects you to the mountains
- Post the video on Instagram or TikTok through May 15th with the hashtag #MountainGamesCreatorContest
- Tag @mountaingamesvail in your post
- Get creative
- Show us your stoke!
The winner receives three nights lodging in Vail, a GoPro Hero11, two VIP day tickets and two concert tickets. The winner will be announced via social media the week of May 15th. Make sure your account is public so we can notify you if you won.
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